I am quite the advocate for encouraging and inspiring children.  I believe that one small word of encouragement, a simple heartfelt smile or compliment can completely change the outlook of a child in seconds.  While visiting the school my son attends, I noticed a teacher that, when she looked at her students, pure pride showed all over her face.  I decided I had to get to know her, and so I did.  Patty Wagner is an English Second Language (ESL) Teacher for Baldwin County Board of Education...and here is her story.

Patty was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico in 1965.  Her mother, from Puerto Rico, met her dad while he was in the Air Force.  Her parents met during World War II and dated until he was called off to war.  When he returned, the couple got married and had three girls.  Patty, the youngest, has two older sisters, 14 and 16 years older than she.

Patty knew from a young age that she wanted to be a teacher.  Not only did she have aunts who were teachers, but she had a natural desire to educate.  Patty tells of how, when she was young, her family had several German Shepherd Dogs that Patty would tie up and pretend to teach.  She remembers having her blackboard in hand as she taught the dogs the various things they needed to know.

She used any opportunity that came along to educate others.  She recalls, “When I was seven years old, my parents hired young men to mow the lawn and when they would go on break, I would teach them English.”  She didn't realize at the time, but teaching the English language would become a major part of her life.

Patty’s family moved to Bradenton, Florida when she was 13 years old.  During the 27 years Patty lived in Bradenton, she graduated from Bayshore High School, graduated from The University of South Florida, got married, got a job teaching and had three children; Michelle, Patrick and Natalie.

Patty's middle sister had moved to Spanish Fort, Alabama.  Patty and her family often traveled to Spanish Fort to visit, and Patty found that she really liked the Baldwin County area.  After some thought, she decided to see if there were any teaching jobs available.  She found an open first grade teaching position with the Baldwin County Board of Education, and during Spring Break of 2006, Patty applied for the job.  She was interviewed and sent directly to Foley, Alabama.  In Foley, she was interviewed again and then returned home to Bradenton.  One week later, Patty was asked to have one more interview over the phone.  The next day, she was offered a job as First Grade Teacher for Foley Elementary School. 

Patty and her family left Bradenton, where she had been teaching for 15 years, and moved to Foley.  She began her new job as First Grade Teacher in August, 2006.  The next year, a position opened for an English Second Language (ESL) Teacher.  Patty, having had years of experience with bi-lingual classrooms in Florida, was quickly chosen for the job. 

As an ESL teacher, Patty focuses on reading, vocabulary comprehension, fluency and grammar.  Students are allotted certain amounts of time with Patty, based on how they perform on tests.  Students scoring 4.8 and above are allowed to exit the program.  Those who score around 4.6 - 4.7 receive about 45 - 50 minutes per week.  The lower the student scores, the more time he/she will be allotted.  Non-English speaking students spend about one hour per day, five days per week with Patty.

Patty is an itinerate teacher (traveling teacher).  Her home-base school is Foley Intermediate, where she reports to the principal for her evaluations, holds meetings, etc.  Each year, Patty travels between Foley Intermediate and other schools, such as Elberta, Orange Beach, Magnolia School, Swift Consolidated and Foley Elementary.  This year, Patty is teaching third through sixth grades.  She has, however, taught kindergarten through sixth grade at the same time.

Patty tries to bring as much fun and excitement to the classroom as she can, while still maintaining a strong learning environment.  She understands the adversities children face when their first language is not English and genuinely wants her students to be successful and encourages them continually.  When asked what it is that makes Patty so dedicated to the children, Patty said, “God helps me.  Number one, it’s that.  It’s an honor to be there for the children because God loves kids so much.”  She added, “I have always been that ‘loving’ teacher.  I want them to feel good about themselves, even when they are not doing good.  I say, ‘You can do this.’  They need that encouragement.”  

Patty feels that having the ability to speak their language helps the kids to learn better and faster.  Having sat in on one of Patty's classes, I witnessed this first hand.  As she was trying to explain a sentence in English, her student had an obvious look of confusion on her face, but with a few quick words in Spanish, she brightened up and completed the task.  I was quite impressed at the relationship and understanding between Patty and her class.

Patty is not only dedicated to her students, but to her family as well.  Having gone through a divorce, Patty had to take on the part of both parents for a while.  She remained positive and never let it bring her down. Then, about 1 1/2 years ago, Patty married Eddie Wagner.  She said, of her husband, "He is the most wonderful man."  Patty and Eddie are tremendously proud of Patty's children.  Michelle, is a freshman at Pensacola State and wants to be a nurse. Patrick is a sophomore at Foley High School and plays baseball.  Natalie is in 7th grade at Foley Middle and is a cheerleader.

I believe, to make a great teacher, the teacher must never stop learning.  Patty is a great teacher who is continuing to grow and learn from her students and family daily.  She is a joy to be around and brings smiles and laughter to those around her.   And as Patty would say, "LIFE IS AWESOME! LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE"